one of my ex-best friends replied to my letter of DA that i copied him on by email. i have not replied to it, nor do i know if i will. i am wondering what you all think about my reply? i was angry and hurt (but not surprised), so i am sure that did not help. am i over reacting and just being "touchy" and should not send the reply in anger? or should i send it anyways? His part of the reply is in bold black text, and my potential reply (to his reply) is in red. when you get to the scripture wrangling part, you can just skip over it after the first few scriptures, as you will get the point quickly. i guess it is thereputic to post my reply here, even if i don't send it to him in the end. i was most angered by his comments on "being lost", "worse than death" and "pursuit of truth". thanks folks. here it is:
Dear Friend,
Well, it has been almost 2 weeks since receiving your letter. I'll have to say that it was quite shocking (and still is) to wake up to open my email and find out that one of my best friends was lost. I've thought and felt often these last two weeks. It is really worse than death.
that's funny, because i think that you are lost too, but i don't go around arrogantly telling you i think so. it's incredible how you automatically assume that i am wrong and you are right. how would you know it is worse than death if you have never experienced death? i am still alive, and I feel great. how can you condescend to me like that and say that what i have done is worse than killing myself? your presumptuousness is typically Christian. what a horrible thing to say. if it is worse than death, then i wish you the worst of mourning.
To be honest, I've been contemplating whether or not to reply to your letter. Not because I don't care. I've assumed that by not talking to me prior to making this decision, it wasn't important to you to hear my input, therefore it won't matter much now.
you're right, this is a very personal decision. your input was not required. as a matter of fact, no one person's input was required, Christian or Atheist. all that was required were the facts, and facts are all i accepted. most civil people do respond to civil letters, i am glad you came around.
You've meant a tremendous amount to me and always will. I wish that I was a better friend and that the rock of our friendship hadn't been removed. I'm hopeful for your return one day if your pursuit is truth.
so you have gone the distance then? and followed the facts wherever they led you? even to uncomfortable waters? you already know everything i have found, and you still choose to be a witness? because you imply by your arrogant comment regarding "truth" that you have indeed found the truth, and that you already know for certain what the outcome of my course will be. this is implied. are you some sort of God? can you really say you have "truth" and just leave it at that? i can assure you that my pursuit is truth, and i can also assure you that you will never see me at the kingdom hall ever again! the pursuit of truth is what set me on this odyssey, and since you are implying that you have the truth and that i am lost, then let me say that the probability of truth in so far as humans can discover it, is far far away from your bible and from the 12 old men in brooklyn that you cherish. and speaking of them, you can thank them for removing the "rock of our friendship".
ps: when talking with a friend regarding this situation, he opened his bible to find a scripture to leave me with. he happened to stumble on 3 John vs. 13 & 14 (the same scripture you had wrote on your care package to me for costa rica). in return. this image is a "care package" for you.
(he then scans in snippets of my letters to him that included scriptures that i had quoted in the past)
wow, it must have been holy spirit that helped him "stumble" on that great passage. thanks for quoting scriptures. typically christian. "shove some more mythology down the heathens throat. better yet, scriptures that the heathen once used himself!" as if this were some sort of 'wake up call' as to my erroneous ways. if this is the game, then you will be pleased to know that according to The Lord of the Rings, frodo and sam are on their way to mount doom as we speak, to save the world from shadow and evil. they are assisted by men, elves, dwarves, tree ents and wizards. and don't tell me that this is "just a fictitious story", because i have faith in my heart that it is true. and that's all i need! "it's the bible that is false! you are lost! if your pursuit is truth, you will come around to the Fellowship of the Ring." do you see the ridiculousness of quoting scripture at an atheist? but while you are throwing scriptures at me, let me throw some at you. these are some of my favorites:
"The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalms 145:8-9 (KJV)
"And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead."
Exodus 12:29-30
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."
Leviticus 20:13
"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.... And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
Numbers 15:32-36
"Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen." Romans 15:33 (KJV)
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor."
Numbers 25:4
"But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth: But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee."
Deuteronomy 7:1-2, 20:16-17
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 1 John 4:8 (KJV)
"And they warred against the Midianites, as the Lord commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.... And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? .... Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."
Numbers 31
"And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword".
Joshua 6:21
"And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter."
1 Samuel 6:19
"And [Elisha] went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."
2 Kings 2:23-24
"...the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James 5:11 (KJV)
"And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces."
2 Chronicles 25:11-12
"Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.... Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children."
Isaiah 13:9,15-18
"And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord: I will not pity , nor spare, nor have mercy , but destroy them."
Jeremiah 13:14
"...turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness."
Joel 2:13 (KJV)
"Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up."
Hosea 13:16
"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones."
ps 137:9
"Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces." mal 2:3
of course, YHVH the "Rock", changed the way he dealt with humans in the new testament. now, everyone has to await the wrath of his day (with great fear and guilt) when all 6 billion non JW's will be torn asunder by his wrath (as all must express faith in the ransom to be saved). this includes children, if we learn anything from the OT.
pps: please pass on our love to your wife.
if you really care about her, you can do that yourself. your "loving, true religion" broke apart my friendships and family, NOT me. what "love" can be passed onto a fellow christian through an infidel? tell me that? the same love that condescends to me? the same love that causes you to say "goodbye" to me after years of friendship because i no longer agree with the WTBTS of Brooklyn NY Inc.? spare your christian love on me, and do it yourself.
ppps: please do not reply.
too bad. you can't pull this arrogance, re quote a book at me that i think is idiotic, and expect to get the last word in.
Love, Your Friend
if you are no longer going to be my friend, then i don't believe that you "love" me. or perhaps this is the perfect christian love that prays for me? well, your praying is atrophying your imagination
. don't pray for me, and don't twist the definition of love .